{"id":854174,"date":"2026-06-09T03:07:15","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T03:07:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/854174\/"},"modified":"2026-06-09T03:07:15","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T03:07:15","slug":"spring-branch-isd-says-tea-funding-formula-change-cost-district-9-6-million","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/854174\/","title":{"rendered":"Spring Branch ISD says TEA funding formula change cost district $9.6 million"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\"><strong>HOUSTON<\/strong> \u2013 Spring Branch ISD officials say a recent change by the TEA has left the district with millions less in state funding than expected, prompting concerns about future budget cuts and even discussion of possible legal action.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">During a school board meeting Monday night, district leaders said Spring Branch ISD received funding from House Bill 2, the school finance package approved by lawmakers this year. However, officials said in May there was a change to a TEA funding formula, reducing the amount of money the district anticipated receiving.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">According to district administrators, the change resulted in a $9.6 million loss in expected revenue for the current fiscal year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The issue has also surfaced at the state level. During a public committee hearing before the Texas Legislature, TEA officials acknowledged that Houston ISD could lose approximately $17 million under the revised formula.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Since that hearing, KPRC 2 News has repeatedly requested clarification from the agency regarding the funding changes and how districts were impacted but has not received additional details.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 etvbxt font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\"\/><\/ul>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Spring Branch ISD\u2019s Vice Superintendent Christine Porter told board members that had district leaders known sooner about the reduction in state funding, they may have taken additional steps to address the budget shortfall.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cIf I had known that we were going to receive less state revenue, I would have encouraged that we needed to make additional cuts this year,\u201d Porter said. \u201cWhich would have helped start the process so that moving forward we\u2019d be in a little bit better spot.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Porter said the district is now expected to continue drawing down its fund balance to cover expenses.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cWe are now expected to continue to drop fund balance and bring our fund balance now down to 14% as a percent of expenditures,\u201d Porter said. \u201cThis use of fund balance continues to still be an unfortunate effect of the state mandating specific spending and truly not recognizing the inflationary pressures that school districts continue to have.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">According to Porter, only seven school districts statewide were affected by the funding adjustment. She said Spring Branch ISD and Houston ISD account for the vast majority of the losses.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The funding loss drew sharp criticism from school board members.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 etvbxt font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\"\/><\/ul>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Board President Courtney Anderson questioned how the situation would be viewed if a school district had made a similar financial error.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cIf we were to make a nine million dollar mistake, can you imagine the headlines?\u201d Anderson said. \u201cCan you imagine what they would say about school districts and finance?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Anderson warned that continued financial pressures could ultimately affect district staffing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cAt some point we\u2019re having to cut payroll, which to anybody who doesn\u2019t understand that means people,\u201d Anderson said. \u201cPeople in the district, people that work with our children day in and day out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Blaine said the district has faced similar challenges before.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cIt\u2019s the same song, second verse. It\u2019s happening again,\u201d Blaine said. \u201cWe found ourselves in the same position in 2014.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Despite the financial strain, Blaine said the district has continued to make academic progress.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cWe\u2019ve made incredible academic gains on a shoestring budget,\u201d Blaine said. \u201cWe don\u2019t hardly have anybody left helping these teachers in these schools. It is very skeletal staff.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The frustration expressed during the meeting led one trustee to suggest the district could explore legal options.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Board member Ted Tredennick said school districts have legal avenues available if they believe state funding practices are unfair.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cWe do have legal recourse,\u201d Tredennick said. \u201cSchool districts can take legal action to enforce what we perceive are unfair tax or revenue practices by the state or TEA. And so that might be something that we consider.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Anderson later compared the state\u2019s expectations for public schools to an uphill battle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cIt\u2019s like they tie both hands behind our back and then push us down a hill and say, \u2018Go, why aren\u2019t you doing better?\u2019\u201d Anderson said. \u201cIf they really want to see public education successful, they would come to Spring Branch.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The board said they will form a community budget committee to look at all ways to cut costs.<\/p>\n<p>Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston &#8211; All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HOUSTON \u2013 Spring Branch ISD officials say a recent change by the TEA has left the district with&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":854175,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5130],"tags":[407,1258,4345,175578,8366,358,3187],"class_list":["post-854174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-houston","tag-education","tag-funding","tag-houston","tag-spring-branch-isd","tag-tea","tag-texas","tag-tx"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116717947849050453","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/854174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=854174"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/854174\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/854175"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=854174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=854174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=854174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}